January 30, 2007

I think it is the right time to look back to 1989, particularly now when you finally joined Europe…or just the European Union, you choose. Some people may argue that is no point of looking at the past, but I think past is what makes the present more often than not; however in the case of Romania surely does.

I was planning to upload this video during the Christmas time when would have been perhaps more in tune with the celebration of 16 years since the Revolution but I could not pull myself together lately with this blog, partly because I somehow lost the interest, partly because I have been confiscated by so many other things to do. But…I really don’t like to abandon things already started, I re-found today the energy and the interest to continue this project. Looking on the blog stats I have discovered that 365 people viewed this blog in one single day and that there are readers each day and people signing for feed. That is something of a responsibility, so I should be sorry for leave it hanging for so long. I shall try to be more consistent.

Why is it the right time to look back to 1989 and why I uploaded this video? First of all, I do not share the statement in the title -Heroes for Nothing- as I wouldn’t be here writing on a blog today if the people who died were for nothing…that is at first glance, a superficial one. Beyond that, yes, we have a dysfunctional unfinished democracy; our politicians should go back to school, so many of them; we are tired and bored with the never ending war between the government and the President. There seems to be nothing new, as in Romania every single government we had it lived with the Damocles sword hanging above and with endless underground arrangements. Moreover, we never actually had an alliance that worked and no longer than yesterday the Democrats split with the Liberals….no surprise.

Looking back to 1989, almost the same people were actively moving politics around: the actual president Basescu, the former president Iliescu, the underground securitate people, and the underground illicit business mobs. Obviously, the stakes are higher today, so the struggle has become ruthless. Only a couple of new elements: a manipulative blonde with the affectation of a political mastermind and the background of wanabee someone someday is stirring things up every now and then and people seem to pay attention as she is the un-official spokesperson of President Basescu. So very Balkan, so very messy. Considering these, yes, the people out on the streets in 1989 died almost for nothing. Our political elite are nothing of elite. I almost lost hope that we will have one. The people with potential I know don’t mingle; those with the pose of new elite have the same characteristics: shallowness, disrespect for their own words, self centred on their own interests only, precisely business, loud and empty. I am utterly bored with them. But….maybe that is the path: this is the country; these are the people, so we deal with what we have. Who doesn’t like it is often told to leave. If you choose to stay, God help you.